Method of playing Pai Gow Poker with no commission option

ABSTRACT

An improved Pai Gow Poker game offers players an option to pay no commission on their winning Main bets. After each Player places a Main bet and an optional Bonus bet, each Player and a Banker are dealt seven cards, which are arranged into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand. A Player&#39;s Bonus bet plays against a pay table. The Player&#39;s Main bet loses if the Player loses both 2-card and 5-card hands to the Banker; the Player pushes if the Player wins one hand and loses the other; if the Player wins both 2-card and 5-card hands, the Player wins and is paid either 1 to 1 with no commission up to 4 times the Player&#39;s Bonus bet, which can be any amount between predetermined minimum and maximum amounts, or 1 to 1 less 5% commission if the Player&#39;s Bonus bet is less than the predetermined minimum amount.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefits of U.S. provisional patent applications: Ser. No. 61/210,580, filed Mar. 20, 2009; and Ser. No. 61/211,602, Mar. 31, 2009.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a Pai Gow Poker wagering game, especially relates to a Pai Gow Poker game with a side bet or bonus bet, which has big payouts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pai Gow Poker, used to call Double Hand Poker, was invented by Sam Torosian and first played in California in 1985. Pai Gow Poker can sit up to six Players and one Banker, generally a casino dealer, and all Players play against the Banker. It uses one standard poker deck of cards plus a Joker. The Joker can be used as an Ace or to form a Straight or Flush. A random number generator or a dice shaker containing two dice is used to decide who will receive the first hand. After each Player places a bet, each Player and the Banker then receive seven cards, which are arranged into a 5-card hand (high hand) and a 2-card hand (low hand). The 5-card hand must rank higher than the 2-card hand according to conventional poker rankings. The Banker wins all ties. If a Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand rank lower than or rank the same as the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand, the Player loses; if the Player loses one hand and wins the other, the Player pushes; if the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand rank higher than the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand, the Player wins. All winning bets are charged 5% commission. Each Player has an option to bank. This version of Pai Gow Poker generates the least player interest, is slow, and does not generate enough revenues for casinos.

Fortune Pai Gow Poker, a game that combines a Main bet (conventional Pai Gow Poker bet) playing against a Banker's hand, and a Bonus bet betting on the contents of a Player's own hand, and on the contents of other Players' hands if the player's Bonus bet is $5 or more. It was licensed by Shuffle Master Incorporated to almost all casinos over U.S. In this version, a Player's Main bet is played out and settled the same way as the conventional Pai Gow Poker; the Player's Bonus bet wins and is paid according to a pay table if the Player's best 5-card poker hand is 3 of a Kind or better or if the player is dealt a 7-Card Straight Flush, and if the player's Bonus bet is $5 or more and if any other player's best 5-card poker hand bonus is 4 of a Kind or better or if any other player is dealt a 7-Card Straight Flush, the player's Bonus bet is paid according to an envy pay table. Fortune Pai Gow Poker enhances player interest and revenues of casino, but it slows down conventional Pai Gow Poker due to handling the additional complicated Bonus bet is time consuming.

Emperor's Challenge, a variation of Pai Gow Poker, licensed to casinos by Galaxy Gaming. It plays almost exactly like Fortune Pai Gow Poker along with an additional side bet called Pai Gow Insurance bet. In this game, a Player must make a Main bet and may make one or two optional bets of Bonus bet and Pai Gow Insurance bet. The Player's Pai Gow Insurance bet wins and is paid according to a pay table if the Player's is dealt a hand of 7-Card Ace High or lower. Emperor's Challenge enhances player interest and casino revenues, but it substantially slows down conventional Pai Gow Poker because it offers two extra side bets, and one of them is complicated.

The present invention discloses a method of playing Pai Gow Poker with no commission option that includes a Main bet and optional Bonus bet, which is simple and very appealing to players. The game debuted at Boulder Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Jul. 3, 2009. It was extremely popular with players from the day one. Eight months after the debut, it has accomplished what it was designed for: 1) It enhances player interest enormously. 2) It speeds up conventional Pai Gow Poker significantly. And 3) It increases casino revenues due to encouraging players to make bigger Bonus bets; Bonus bet generally gives casinos the highest house advantage among bets offered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is called “Pai Gow Thrill.” It is played with one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus at least one ‘Joker.’ The Joker may be used as an Ace or to form a Straight or Flush. Two or up to seven players, may participate in the game. One of the players is the Banker whom other Players play against. A Player who is not a Banker may make a Main bet playing against the Banker's hand, and then may place an optional Bonus bet betting on the content of the Player's own hand.

After at least one Main bet is placed, every Player and the Banker are each dealt seven cards, which are arranged into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand. The 5-card hand must rank higher than 2-card hand. A random number generator or a dice shaker containing two dice is preferably used to decide who will receive the first hand.

MAIN BET: The object of Main bet is to have both 2-card and 5-card hands rank higher than both of the opponent's 2-card and 5-card hands. In this game, the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand are compared to the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand, according to the rankings wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card; wherein Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2; wherein A2345 is either the second highest Straight or the lowest Straight. The Banker wins all ties.

The Player's Main bet wins if the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand rank higher than the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand; the Player's Main bet pushes if the Player wins one hand and loses the other; the Player's Main bet loses if both of the Player's 2-card and 5-card hands rank lower than or rank the same as both of the Banker's 2-card and 5-card hands.

The Player's winning Main bet can be settled as follows:

-   1. If the Player's Bonus bet is an amount between a predetermined     minimum amount and a predetermined maximum amount such as $5 to $25,     the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 with no commission     either up to 4 times the amount of the Player's Bonus bet or up to a     specified maximum amount such as $100, and 1 to 1 less 5% commission     on the amount that exceeds either 4 times the amount of the Player's     Bonus bet or the specified maximum amount. For example: Player A     places $5 on Bonus bet and $50 on Main bet and wins the Main bet,     Player A pays no commission on Player A's first $20 and pays a 5%     commission on Player A's second $30 ($50-$20=$30). Player B places     $30 on Bonus bet and $200 on Main bet and wins the Main bet; since     the predetermined maximum amount allowed is $100, Player B pays no     commission on Player B's first $100 and pays a 5% commission on     Player B's second $100. -   2. If the Player's Bonus bet is less than the predetermined minimum     amount such as less than $5, the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1     to 1 less 5% commission. -   3. If the Player banks, the Player's net win is paid 1 to 1 less 5%     commission.

BONUS BET: The Player's Bonus bet wins if the Player's hand matches any of the following winning combinations: 7-Card 9 High 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush, 5 Aces, 7-Card Straight Flush with Joker, and 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker; the Player' Bonus bet loses if the Player's hand does not match one of aforementioned winning combinations; and the Player's winning Bonus bet will be paid according to the following pay table:

Hand Payout Odds 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker 8,000 to 1   7-Card Straight Flush with Joker 2,000 to 1   5 Aces 800 to 1 Royal Flush 200 to 1 Straight Flush  60 to 1 4 of a Kind  40 to 1 Full House  5 to 1

Flush 4 to 1 Straight 2 to 1 3 of a Kind 2 to 1 7-Card 9 High 10 to 1 

Four key elements to make the present invention more appealing to Pai Gow Poker players, easy to deal for dealers, and to be widely accepted the vast majority of casinos are:

-   1. Conventional Pai Gow Poker is included. -   2. The Bonus bet must yield at least 4% house advantage. -   3. To obtain the benefit of paying no commission, the Bonus bet must     be an amount between a predetermined minimum amount and a     predetermined maximum amount, preferably $5 to $25. -   4. The winning Main bet pays no commission either up to an amount     which is equal to 4 times the amount of the Bonus bet, or up to a     specified maximum amount preferably $100.

The objective of the present invention is to make the game of Pai Gow Poker more interesting to players by providing players an option to pay no commission on their winning Pai Gow Poker Main bet without changing any aspect of Pai Gow Poker.

Another objective of the present invention is to make it easier and faster for dealers to deal Pai Gow Poker, speeding up the slow game of Pai Gow Poker.

An advantage of the present invention is that it balances the house advantage—large enough to give casinos a fair return on their investment while not so large to give players the sense of winning.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a table layout of the present invention: 10 is a Main bet spot; 11, a Bonus bet spot; 12, a 2-card hand area; 13, a 5-card hand area; 14, the rules of no commission option; 15, a dealer's chip rack; 16, the name of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is called “Pai Gow Thrill.” It is played with one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus at least one “Joker.” The Joker either is “semi-wild” and may be used as an Ace or to form a Straight or Flush, or is “wild” and may be used as any card. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the Joker is semi-wild. Two or up to seven players, may participate in the game. One of the players is the Banker whom other Players play against. A Player who is not a Banker may make a Main bet playing against the Banker's hand, and then may place an optional Bonus bet betting on the content of the Player's own hand. For any given round of play, the Player can choose either to pay no commission on the Player's winning Main bet by placing a Bonus bet that is equal to an amount between a predetermined minimum amount such as $5 and a predetermined maximum amount such as $25, or to pay commission by placing a Bonus bet that is less than the predetermined minimum amount.

After at least one Main bet is placed, every Player and the Banker are each dealt seven cards, which are arranged into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand; the 5-card hand must rank higher than the 2-card hand according to rankings, which will be disclosed below. A random number generator or a dice shaker containing two dice is used to decide who will receive the first hand. Alternatively, the present invention can be played without a random number generator or dice shaker that contains two dice.

MAIN BET: The object of Main bet is to have both 2-card and 5-card hands rank higher than both of the opponent's 2-card and 5-card hands. In this game, the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand are compared to the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand, according to the rankings wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card; wherein Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2; wherein A2345 is either the second highest Straight or the lowest Straight. The Banker wins all ties.

The Player's Main bet wins if the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand rank higher than the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand; the Player's Main bet pushes if the Player wins one hand and loses the other; the Player's Main bet loses if both of the Player's 2-card and 5-card hands rank lower than or rank the same as both of the Banker's 2-card and 5-card hands.

The Player's winning Main bet can be settled as follows:

-   1. If both the Player's Bonus bet is an amount between a     predetermined minimum amount and a predetermined maximum amount such     as $5 to $25, and the Player's Main bet is less than or equal to an     amount that is either 4 times the Player's Bonus bet or a specified     maximum amount such as $100, the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1     to 1 with no commission either up to 4 times the amount of the     Player's Bonus bet, or up to the specified maximum amount. -   2. If the Player's Bonus bet is less than the predetermined minimum     amount such as $5, the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 less     5% commission. -   3. If the Player's Bonus bet is an amount between a predetermined     minimum amount and a predetermined maximum amount such as $5 to $25,     and the Player's Main bet exceeds an amount that is either 4 times     the Player's Bonus bet or the specified maximum amount such as $100,     the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 with no commission     either up to 4 times the amount of the Player's Bonus bet or up to     the specified maximum amount, and 1 to 1 less 5% commission on the     amount that exceeds either 4 times the amount of the Player's Bonus     bet or the specified maximum amount. For example: Player A places $5     on Bonus bet and $50 on Main bet and wins the Main bet, Player A     pays no commission on Player A's first $20 and pays a 5% commission     on Player A's second $30 ($50-$20=$30). Player B places $30 on Bonus     bet and $200 on Main bet and wins the Main bet; since the     predetermined maximum amount allowed is $100, Player B pays no     commission on Player B's first $100 and pays a 5% commission on     Player B's second $100. -   4. If the Player banks, the Player's net win is paid 1 to 1 less 5%     commission.

BONUS BET: The Player's Bonus bet wins if the Player's hand matches any of the following winning combinations: 7-Card 9 High, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush, 5 Aces, 7-Card Straight Flush with Joker, and 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker; the Player' Bonus bet loses if the Player's hand does not match one of aforementioned winning combinations; and the Player's winning Bonus bet will be paid according to the following pay table:

Hand Payout Odds 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker 8,000 to 1    7-Card Straight Flush with Joker 2,000 to 1    5 Aces 800 to 1  Royal Flush 200 to 1  Straight Flush 60 to 1  4 of a Kind 40 to 1  Full House 5 to 1 Flush 4 to 1 Straight 2 to 1 3 of a Kind 2 to 1 7-Card 9 High 10 to 1 

The hit frequency the above Bonus Bet is 19.21%. The house advantage is 7.15%.

Four key elements of the present invention that makes conventional Pai Gow Poker more appealing to Pai Gow Poker players, easy and faster for dealers to deal, and to be widely accepted by the vast majority of casinos are:

-   1. Conventional Pai Gow Poker is included. -   2. The Bonus bet must yield at least 4% house advantage, preferably     around 7%. -   3. To obtain the benefit of paying no commission, the Bonus bet must     be an amount between predetermined minimum and maximum betting     amounts, preferably $5 to $25. -   4. The winning Main bet pays no commission either up to an amount     that is equal to a predetermined number of times the amount of Bonus     bet preferably 4 times the amount of Bonus bet, or up to a specified     maximum amount preferably $100.

Alternatively, any other Bonus bet game that yields at least 4% house advantage can also be combined with the game of Main bet of the present invention. A Bonus bet game that yields less than 4% house advantage will deter casinos to offer the Method of Playing Pai Gow Poker with No Commission Option of the present invention to their clients, because it does not provide an adequate house advantage for casinos to obtain a fair return on their investments.

Alternatively, the present invention can be further designed to allow a Player to place a Bonus bet on at least one other Player's hand or on the Banker's hand or both.

Alternatively, the present invention can be further designed to include a mandatory Bonus bet that yields an adequate house advantage, which is at least high enough for a casino to accept the substituting of the two adverse rules of conventional Pai Gow Poker with two following new rules, and the new rules are:

-   1. It is a tie if a Player's 2-card hand ranks the same as a     Banker's 2-card hand or a Player's 5-card hand ranks the same as the     Banker's 5-card hand. And -   2. There will be no commission charge on any winning Main bet.

Alternatively, the present invention can be further designed to allow each Player to place just a Bonus bet or just a Main bet, or both to play the game.

Beside being played on any surface such as on a gaming table used in casinos, the present invention can also be converted into a game that be played on a slot machine, a video poker machine, an electronic device and the like, a family playing card game that be played at a home or a party. It can further be designed into a game that can be played on a computer or over an internet. 

1. A method of playing Pai Gow Poker with no commission option among a plurality of Players and a Banker, each Player wagering against the Banker, comprising the steps of: (a) providing and shuffling one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus at least one Joker, wherein the Joker may either be used as an Ace or to complete a Straight or Flush, or be used as any card; (b) a Player placing a Main bet; (c) the Player may place an optional Bonus bet, wherein the Bonus bet must yield a house advantage of at least 4%; wherein if the Player wants to pay no commission on the Player's winning Main bet, the Player must place a Bonus bet that must be an amount between a predetermined minimum amount and a predetermined maximum amount; (d) determining who will receive the first hand by using a random number generator or a dice shaker containing two dice to decide who will receive the first hand. (e) dealing the cards into enough dealt hands of seven cards to provide a dealt hand for each Player and for the Banker; (f) each Player and the Banker arrange their seven dealt cards into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand; wherein the 5-card hand must rank higher than the 2-card hand according to rankings disclosed below; (g) determining whether the Player's Main bet wins, loses or ties; wherein the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand are compared to the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand according to the rankings wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card; wherein Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2; wherein A2345 is either the second highest Straight or the lowest Straight; (h) settling the Player's Main bet against the Banker; wherein the Player's Main bet wins if the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand rank higher than the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand; the Player's Main bet pushes if the Player wins one hand and loses the other; the Player's Main bet loses if both of the Player's 2-card and 5-card hands rank lower than or rank the same as both of the Banker's 2-card and 5-card hands; if the Player's Bonus bet is an amount between a predetermined minimum amount and a predetermined maximum amount, the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 with no commission either up to a predetermined number of times of the amount of the Player's Bonus bet, or up to a specified maximum amount, and is paid 1 to 1-less 5% commission on the amount that exceeds either the predetermined number of times of the amount of the Player's Bonus bet or the specified maximum amount; wherein if the Player's Bonus bet is less than the predetermined minimum amount, the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 less 5% commission; wherein if the Player banks, the Player's net win is paid 1 to 1 less 5% commission; and (i) determining whether the Player's Bonus bet wins or loses, if any; wherein if the Player's hand matches one of predetermined winning combinations, the Player's Bonus bet wins and is paid according to a predetermined pay table; wherein if the Player's hand does not match one of the predetermined winning combinations, the Player's Bonus bet loses; and (j) settling the Player's Bonus bet against the Banker.
 2. The method of playing Pai Gow Poker with no commission option according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined minimum amount and the predetermined maximum amount of the Player's Bonus bet that qualifies for no commission are $5 and $25.
 3. The method of playing Pai Gow Poker with no commission option according to claim 1, wherein the Player's Bonus bet wins if the Player's hand matches any of the following winning combinations: 7-Card 9 High, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush, 5 Aces, 7-Card Straight Flush with Joker, and 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker; wherein the Player' Bonus bet loses if the Player's hand does not match one of the above winning combinations; wherein the Joker is used as an Ace or to form a Straight or Flush; wherein the Bonus bet yields a house advantage of 7.15%; wherein the player's winning Bonus bet will be paid according to the following pay table: Hand Payout Odds 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker 8,000 to 1    7-Card Straight Flush with Joker 2,000 to 1    5 Aces 800 to 1  Royal Flush 200 to 1  Straight Flush 60 to 1  4 of a Kind 40 to 1  Full House 5 to 1 Flush 4 to 1 Straight 2 to 1 3 of a Kind 2 to 1 7-Card 9 High 10 to 1 


4. A method of playing Pai Gow Poker with no commission option among a plurality of Players and a Banker, each Player wagering against the Banker, comprising the steps of: (a) providing and shuffling one standard poker deck of 52 cards plus at least one Joker, wherein the Joker may be used as an Ace or to complete a Straight or Flush; (b) a Player placing a Main bet; (c) the Player may place an optional Bonus bet, wherein the Bonus bet yields a house advantage of 7.15%; wherein if the Player wants to pay no commission on his or her winning Main bet, the Player must place a Bonus bet, which may be an amount between $5 to $25; (d) determining who will receive the first hand by using a random number generator or a dice shaker containing two dice to decide who will receive the first hand. (e) dealing the cards into enough dealt hands of seven cards to provide a dealt hand for each Player and for the Banker; (f) each Player and the Banker arrange their seven dealt cards into a 5-card hand and a 2-card hand; wherein the 5-card hand must rank higher than the 2-card hand according to rankings disclosed below; (g) determining whether the Player's Main bet wins, loses or ties; wherein the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand are compared to the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand according to the rankings wherein hands are ranked in descending order as follows: 5 Aces, Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card; wherein Ace is the highest High Card, following by King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2; wherein A2345 is either the second highest Straight or the lowest Straight; (h) settling the Player's Main bet against the Banker; wherein the Player's Main bet wins if the Player's 2-card hand and 5-card hand rank higher than the Banker's corresponding 2-card hand and 5-card hand; the Player's Main bet pushes if the Player wins one hand and loses the other; the Player's Main bet loses if both of the Player's 2-card and 5-card hands rank lower than or rank the same as both of the Banker's 2-card and 5-card hands; the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 with no commission up to 4 times the amount of the Player's Bonus bet that must be an amount between $5 to $25, and is paid 1 to 1 less 5% commission on the amount that exceeds 4 times the amount of the Player's Bonus bet; wherein the Player's winning Main bet is paid 1 to 1 less 5% commission if the Player's Bonus bet is less than $5; wherein if the Player banks, the Player's net win is paid 1 to 1 less 5% commission; and (i) determining whether the Player's Bonus bet wins or loses, if any; wherein the Player's Bonus bet wins if the Player's hand matches any of the following winning combinations: 7-Card 9 High, 3 of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, 4 of a Kind, Straight Flush, Royal Flush, 5 Aces, 7-Card Straight Flush with Joker, and 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker; wherein the Player' Bonus bet loses if the Player's hand does not match one of the above winning combinations; wherein the Player's winning Bonus bet will be paid as follows: 7-Card Straight Flush with No Joker pays 8,000 to 1, 7-Card Straight Flush with Joker pays 2,000 to 1, 5 Aces pays 800 to 1, Royal Flush pays 200 to 1, Straight Flush pays 60 to 1, 4 of a Kind pays 40 to 1, Full House pays 5 to 1, Flush pays 4 to 1, Straight pays 2 to 1, 3 of a Kind pays 2 to 1, 7-Card 9 High pays 10 to 1; and (j) settling each Player's Bonus bet against the Banker. 